UNA To Require Freshmen To Live On Campus In 2014

FLORENCE, Ala. (WHNT) – If you’re planning to attend college at the University of North Alabama, be aware that starting in the fall of 2014, freshmen will be required to live on campus.

This change is for all first-time, full-time freshmen.  UNA says this will help students gain the complete college experience.

“Statistically, students who live on campus perform better academically, have an all-around more successful college experience and have a greater likelihood of graduating,” said Dr. William G. Cale Jr., UNA president. “That has been reflected for years in studies from universities throughout the country, and we believe it will have a positive impact on the students of UNA, as well.”

UNA has also implemented new initiatives to help freshmen with the experience of college life.  One is a freshman residential community, FOCUS, which helps first-time college students make a successful transition.  FOCUS stands for First-Year Opportunities and Connections for UNA Students, and makes up the first four floors of Rivers Hall.

There is also a new First-Year Resident Educators program, or FYRE, which pairs academic peer mentors with freshmen to help them deal with challenges they face in the first year of college.

“The freshman year is the most important year of college,” said David Shields, UNA vice president for student affairs. “It’s a major transition in a student’s life, and it’s a difficult transition for many students. That’s why we’ve applied the new freshman programs and initiatives that we have, and it’s why we’re developing a live-on requirement for freshmen. We’re here to help these students become a real part of this campus community, because when they do, their college experience will be a greater success. And that, in turn, will set them on a better course for life.”